•SERAP logo, Senate President Akpabio and House Speaker Abbas
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to immediately withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The organisation warned that it would institute legal action if the proposed legislation were passed in its current form, reports The Guardian.
In a letter over the weekend, signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation described the bill as “a backdoor attempt to regulate social media and expand governmental control over online expression,” arguing that it is incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), seeks to compel social media platforms, data controllers and data processors operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country.
It also empowers the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to prohibit or shut down the operations of entities that fail to comply within 30 days.
SERAP warned that the proposed legislation would grant regulators sweeping powers that could exclude digital platforms from Nigeria, exposing millions of citizens to violations of their constitutionally and internationally guaranteed rights.
The body also faulted the proposed powers granted to the NDPC, saying the bill lacks adequate procedural safeguards.
The bill, SERAP said, contains no requirement for prior judicial authorisation, no obligation to consider less restrictive alternatives, no meaningful opportunity to remedy alleged non-compliance beyond the arbitrary 30-day period, and no requirement to consider the impact of any prohibition on the fundamental rights of millions of Nigerians.
SERAP maintained that the amendment could effectively achieve the same outcome as the federal government’s 2021 suspension of Twitter, which the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ruled violated the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.
It also warned that mandatory localisation requirements would undermine Nigeria’s digital economy by increasing compliance costs for startups, educational institutions, research organisations, artificial intelligence developers and smaller technology companies.
SERAP urged the National Assembly to reject the amendment, insisting that it threatens the rights of millions of Nigerians who rely on digital platforms to exercise freedom of expression, access information, conduct business, pursue education, participate in politics and engage in civic advocacy.
